Corrupted
by xRedxMoonx
Summary: Once a thief, always a thief; they say. She has always dreamed of the world above, away from that hole in the ground on whose bottom the Underground city lies. So she vows momentary loyalty to a group of three robbers and manages to leave it all behind. However, the new world holds surprises that might turn her into something even more dangerous than the Titans themselves.
1. Underground

**A/N** : So here I am, once again, trying to write a story for Levi. This time though, I have almost everything already planned so I'll just update a chapter once a week (possibly). Also, this is a short introduction, which means chapters will definitely be longer.

 **WARNING:** This story will contain lots of swearing, blood and tragedy.

 **Disclaimer** : I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan, I only own my OC and everything you don't recognize.

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 **CHAPTER ONE:**

Underground

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 _"When you've been fighting for it all your life, you've been struggling to make things right; that's how a superhero learns to fly."_

* * *

The world underground surely was something else; there were no birds, the wind didn't blow and the smell of junk and garbage prevailed in the dirty streets. But, more important, sunlight never seeped through; always blocked by the rocky ceiling above the poor people who lived below it. The only sound that could be heard inside that cave came from the men that wouldn't stop ordering around as though they were the kings of the city. Well, if they had such privilege, they most likely wouldn't be spending their pathetic lives down there; surrounded by souls who _obviously_ didn't belong to the same status as theirs.

Rei Magnolia clicked her tongue in aversion as another pair of annoying men walked past the building on whose balcony she was hanging, yelling at each other about –what undoubtedly were– pointless things. Her feet dangled over them as she distractedly swayed her legs and leaned her back against the closed window behind. The glass was so cold that the thin blouse she wore to cover her slim torso felt useless against it, and Rei would occasionally shiver because of it. Sighing, she ran a hand through her short, red hair as an attempt to comb it, and mentally cursed when her fingers got tangled with its strands.

"Ah, fuck it," she mumbled to herself before pulling out a cigarette, only to soon realize she didn't have a lighter to lit it. She groaned, "You've got to be kidding me."

Then, her brown gaze fell upon the two men who were still arguing at her feet, and an idea came to her mind. Swiftly jumping off the balcony, Rei approached them with determined steps.

"Got a lighter on you?" She asked straightforward, her voice lacking emotion and she stared blankly at them.

"Uh?! Look at that, Marlo, this scum thinks she can talk to us," one of them said, a sneer plastered on his face as he stared her down.

Her eye twitched in annoyance when his gaze wandered over her body, his expression turning into one of mid-interest as he did. A disgusting grin spread across Marlo's face as he approached her.

"She ain't looking that bad, this one. Already got the body of a woman," he laughed.

"That's because I'm a woman, you bastard," defended Rei, her features contorted into an expression of utter repugnance.

"And she's a feisty one as well!" That was when he made his last mistake as he threw an arm over her shoulders and looked over to his friend. "How about we keep her? Think I'll have some fun wit–"

The words died in his throat when her elbow connected with his stomach, effectively shutting him up and causing him to gasp for breath and bend down. When he did, Rei elbowed him again, that time on the back of his neck. She put enough force in her hit and the man dropped on the ground, his face slamming against the dirty surface with a thud. Quickly stepping on his head, which earned her a pained grunt from her victim, she drifted her gaze towards the other man. He stood, mouth agape, staring at her with shocked yet fearful eyes.

"I'll ask again. Do you have a lighter?" She spoke, her face serious and giving away the impression she was running out of patience.

Not daring to open his mouth, the man passed her the small item and she caught it in her hand.

"Now, was it that hard?" Marlo moaned in pain, which only earned him another kick that finally managed to knock him out. "Shut up," she demanded while she lit her cigarette. "I'm going to keep this. You don't mind, do you?" Hearing the unspoken threat behind her calm words, he could only shake his head and watch as Rei turned on her heels and walked away.

Humming out of habit, Rei placed the lighter inside the pocket of her trousers and held the cigarette between her fingers as she took a long drag. While wandering down the streets, her mind replayed the situation happening some minutes back. But she felt nothing; no guilt, no satisfaction… Nothing. Truth be told, she had stopped feeling anything other than passivity years ago. Maybe that was the reason why she started to work as a robber and made a living out of it; the need to finding something that could attempt to fulfil her boring life.

As she passed another sleeping woman, a shadow crossed her sight. It flew over her like a bird, free and fast, effectively catching her interest and attention. Of course, Rei knew who it was; who it worked for at least. The man cut through the air, propelling himself with the gear he carried around his body. Something akin to admiration shone in her dull eyes –more like envy– as she watched him move easily above the ground. He suddenly manoeuvred, swirling in the air with grace before his frame disappeared around a corner.

Not thinking about it for a second, Rei threw her cigarette to the ground and sprung after him. She had to get her hands on one of those gears; it would undoubtedly make her job easier in so many ways.

Thus, as she ran after the man, Rei began to mentally formulate a plan in order to take it without getting caught. The task was difficult beyond question, as it implied to steal from the best gang of robbers living underground. Yet she wasn't going to let that fact bother her; she liked to think of herself as an impressive thief as well.

Leaning her back against a wall, she hid in the darkness provided by a bridge and observed the situation. Her eyes followed the man as he walked up to a door, and disappeared inside a random house. Then, the woman let herself slid down to sit cross-legged on the ground.

Rei waited there for hours, her gaze locked on the only window that seemed to own the house until the light inside faded into darkness when night finally fell upon their heads. Slowly, she stood up and, after sparing a glance at her surroundings to make sure no one was there, she tip-toed towards the closed door. Jumping up the stairs that lead to it without making a single noise, she stopped before it and quickly pulled out a pair of pins. Biting her lip out of habit, she focused on unlocking the door. Her fingers trembled slightly due to the nervousness rolling down her veins, and she mentally cursed when one of the pins fell out of her grasp, eliciting a painful sound as it bounced on the ground. Fortunately for her, no one came out and the street remained deadly silent.

Finally, after trying a couple of times, the satisfying _click_ reached her ears and Rei pushed to door open. Her heart skipped a beat for the second time that night when a complaining noise emerged from the rusty hinges, immediately driving her to stop dead in her tracks. Her breath came out in irregular puffs, and she waited for some seconds until she was certain no one was in the room before she stepped in. Her hand clutched securely the lighter she had stolen some hours back, and her feet crossed the dark place without stepping on whatever that could be lying on the floor. From time to time, she'd lit the fire so that way she could see the way she needed to follow in order to get those lovely gears.

The lighter fell to the ground the moment someone slammed her against a wall, her back colliding with it forcefully. A groan escaped her lips and it took her some seconds to become aware of the situation she was suddenly in. The lights were on, and a man had trapped her between his body and the wall behind. Ignoring the arm that was preventing the air from filling her lungs, Rei looked up to meet a pair of cold, angry eyes.

"What do you think you're doing, brat?" His voice was smooth, and the annoyance reflected in it was evident.

He was so close to her that she could feel his toned torso pressing against her breasts; he was fit, that was for sure. He was taller than her by only some inches, but hot nonetheless. Then again, the woman wasn't going to let herself be fooled by his looks; she wasn't some teenager from the world above. She was a warrior, and she'd fight for her freedom even if she died while trying.

The man was caught off guard when Rei kneed him in his groin, causing him to double in pain and glare up at the woman before him. Her brown eyes stared down at him smugly, as though they were laughing at him. A scowl crept up to his handsome face before his hand reached back for a knife, and he quickly pointed it towards her.

"You–"

"Rei?"

Said woman's attention was grabbed by someone she didn't expect to see in that surprisingly clean place. Her eyes widened ever so slightly when they fell upon the short figure of her sister, who stood by the door with a confused yet excited expression spread on her features.

"Isabel? What the hell are you doing here?" Rei demanded to know, her hands placed on her hips as she completely ignored the presence of the –still annoyed– man.

Isabel smiled her ordinary smile and trotted over, only to pull her older sister into a crushing hug when she reached her.

"I could ask you the same!" She exclaimed, suddenly eyeing the woman with suspicion. "Who's behind this?"

Rei merely shrugged.

"No one; I came here on my own accord," she confessed, and glared at the man beside her. "But this little shit over here tried to kill me."

Hearing that, the man sent her a long, cold stare.

"Tch."

Rei crossed her arms over her chest.

"Is that even a word?" She commented out-loud, obviously looking for an argument, which Levi didn't feel like having.

Instead, his grey eyes drifted to Isabel, who was watching their interaction with amusement dancing in her green gaze.

"How do you know each other? You'd better give me a good enough reason or else she won't live for tomorrow," he threatened, his eye twitching as he heard the sarcastic scoff coming from the unknown woman.

"Ah? She's my older sister, aniki," Isabel revealed to the short man, effectively shutting him up as he tried to relate both females. Sure enough, the only thing that the two didn't share was the colour of their eyes; while Isabel's were green as emeralds, the woman's ones were of a dark shade of brown.

"Tch, whatever. That doesn't explain the fact that she broke in."

As Isabel hummed in agreement, Rei frowned.

"Aniki? I don't recall having another sibling, Isabel," she argued, trying to elude the question thrown at her as she grew curious about the association between her little sister and that grumpy man.

"Oh, he's obviously not our brother," Isabel laughed, amused by the simple thought. "He just happened to save my life when some men tried to beat me to a pulp."

At that, Rei felt something she hadn't felt in longer than she remembered: pure rage. Her lips curved into an infuriated scowl and her eyes glared daggers at nothing in particular; something Isabel noticed, for she quickly waved her hands in front of her.

"He scared them away before they could get to me, Rei!" She added as an attempt to calm her down.

"That's right, she's in good hands," another man voiced as he stepped in, walking through the open door with a smile plastered on his face. When he was close enough, he stuck a hand towards her. "Name's Farlan, and the grumpy one's Levi. As you've probably noticed, he can be a bit difficult to deal with, but he's a decent guy."

Rei doubted _decent_ was a word that could describe a robber, but bit down her sarcastic remark. For the first time since Levi had seen her, the corner of her mouth turned upwards forming a slight smile. She took Farlan's hand in hers and shook it.

"Rei," she introduced herself before glancing over to Levi, who had moved to his usual spot at the table. "I guess I should thank you then."

Levi simply sat back, doing nothing to acquaintance her words, while Farlan shrugged.

"It wasn't a problem, really," he said. "She's ended up being a great adding to our gang."

"Yeah, it surely seems to be that way," agreed the woman, sending a small smile to her grinning sister before commenting, "I trust you'll be fine here."

"Of course!"

"I'll be going then," Rei announced, quickly waving at them before rushing out.

The three robbers stared after her, different expressions on their faces. However, they all changed into shock when they noticed something wrong.

"Wait, a gear's gone," Farlan stated, his eyes widened as he tried to understand what had happened.

Isabel, on the other hand, merely gave out a short laugh.

"That's Rei for you."

While the two got absorbed into an argument about Rei's tricks, Levi clicked his tongue in annoyance and walked over to the open door. Scanning the surroundings with severe eyes, he came to the conclusion it'd be pointless to run after her, for she was nowhere to be seen. Besides, the darkness provided by the night wasn't going to help in any way if they decided to go after her. Probably, she was hiding somewhere she knew they wouldn't find her. As the thought crossed his mind, Levi felt something that almost caused him to smile in anticipation; yet, his lips curved upwards ever so slightly into an eager smirk. His eyes closed as he folded his arms across his toned chest.

"Tch, that brat."

-#-

To say her work, and consequently her life, had become easier in so many ways would be an understatement. Ever since she managed to steal _her_ precious dimensional equipment, a feeling of freedom had overcome her. It had taken away the monotonous life she carried within seconds; more specifically, when she had flown for the first time. The speed of her movements as she crossed the space between the buildings of the city created gusts of wind that accompanied her everywhere. That was why she had soon started to try different things in the air: she swirled, flipped and stopped hastily before jumping gracefully once again.

People stopped to watch her, amazed at her comfortability as she passed above their heads. However, it wasn't that what caught her attention one day like any other. Another shadow flew past her with admirable speed, immediately grabbing her interest. Her eyes followed him as he increased his speed, and swirled around. It was just a second, but their gazes met and an amused smirk crept to her lips before she manoeuvred and turned to her left, instantly disappearing behind the buildings.

Not even a second later, Levi followed her. There was a barely unnoticeable glint of slight interest gleaming in his usually cold eyes, the ones who wouldn't leave her form as she attempted to make him lose track of her. Suddenly, Rei descended towards the ground, quickly took an apple from a fat man who was walking by, and smoothly lifted her body to the ceiling before he could try to catch her. Then, she flipped in the air calmly, as though she were doing that her whole life. It was so natural; the way she moved. For a moment, Levi fell behind and stared at the woman in wonder.

Her eye caught his, and she threw a playful wink his way as if she were daring him to follow her. His lips curved into an annoyed grimace before Levi propelled himself forward, catching up with her in less than two seconds. Without sparing her a glance, he swirled and rounded a corner.

"Show off," she muttered as she rapidly rushed after him.

"Tch, look who's talking," the short man retorted, his gaze falling upon her momentarily to notice the sketch of a smile drawn on her face.

Her feet touched the roof of a building as she stopped, the content feeling that had been boiling through her veins fading almost immediately. Letting her body drop, she sat down on the border and took a deep breath. She startled when someone sat down next to her, and hastily looked at Levi in shock. But if the man noticed, he didn't even attempt to question it and lay back, using his arms as a pillow as he relaxed.

"What are you doing?" She demanded to know, shocked by the man's actions. Sure, she had had fun flying with him –not that she was ever going to admit it–, but that didn't mean she wanted him to follow her everywhere she went.

However, if Levi noticed her discomfort, he once again did nothing to show it.

"What does it look like to you?" He snapped back, his eyes closed as he calmly breathed.

A frown crept onto her face as she watched the man, a mixture of annoyance and suspicion dancing on her features. Placing a possessive hand over the dimensional gear, she tossed him the apple she had stolen on the way there and was surprised when he caught it.

"I'm afraid I cannot return this to you, but you can keep that apple as compensation," she informed, humour dripping her voice.

Levi opened his eyes to send her a blank stare, his expression saying 'are you fucking serious?'. But, coming to the conclusion it'd be pointless to start an argument, he sighed in what seemed to be frustration and tossed the apple back at her. She wasn't expecting it, as the red fruit simply flew past her before plunging into the void. Within seconds though, as she regained her composure, she jumped after it. The man was left alone, watching in wonder and curiosity as Rei propelled herself towards the ground, only to shoot upwards moments later.

"I really shouldn't be wasting my time with this idiot," she mumbled before sitting back down on the roof, apple in hand.

"Where did you learn to use it like that?"

Levi snapped her out of her thoughts as he referred to the dimensional gear, his hands still supporting the back of his head.

"Where did you?" Rei asked back, sending him a knowing look. After receiving nothing but a scowl, the woman shrugged carelessly. "I have good balance."

Whether it was to get revenge on her for her teasing from before, or just for the sake of it, Levi would never know. But, as an expression of utter alarm crossed her features and the apple escaped from her grasp to smash into the ground, he didn't regret pushing her off the roof.

"You're so dead." He heard her growl, which only earned her one last emotionless glance before the man flew off. However, if one looked closely at his face, the slightest of the smiles could be noticed.

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 **Please, leave a comment telling me what you think so far!**


	2. A not-so-perfect plan

**A/N:** I know I promised I wouldn't take more than a week to update, but I had to leave home for some days because of an important issue regarding my job. So, I've been thinking about this story a lot, and have almost every event situated in it. However, seeing as I don't want to rush things and writing takes a while if you want to create a good chapter, I will be updating once every two or three weeks.

I'm also writing a story for _Gaara_ from Naruto and it'd be great if you checked it out!

Anyway, I hope you like this chapter; the real thing begins within the next two ones and I can't wait to write them down. As usual, please tell me what you think about this, and the OC.

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 **CHAPTER TWO:**

A not-so-perfect plan

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Grey eyes scrutinized the city from above, sharp and focused as they searched for a certain woman with red velvet hair. While glancing around the city, Levi felt something akin to eagerness; for some unknown reason, it was becoming a familiar sensation nowadays. No, that wouldn't be accurate at all. Truth be told, the man knew the motive behind such odd fact and it irked him to no end. Why, of all people, did he have to develop feelings towards the annoying sister of Isabel. Do not misunderstand him, as he wasn't _romantically_ infatuated with her –that'd be just unthinkable. However, she had managed to make a breakthrough in cracking his façade –he was _eager_ , for fuck's sake–; Levi could see it crumbling over the course of time if he allowed her to get any closer.

One would say, after making such conclusion, he should just stay away so he wouldn't have to face that problem. Yet again, it seemed as though a part of him enjoyed the eagerness in his stomach, and Levi found himself unable to avoid her; hence his irritation towards his own sanity –or lack of it.

Clicking his tongue in annoyance, he swore aloud as his gaze kept looking for the elusive woman. His hand reached for his hair to run his slender fingers through the dark locks, and his eyes closed in exasperation. It was always like that; whenever he tried to find her, it was to no avail. Oddly enough, it was the woman who had an unnerving tendency to localize him, as though she had some kind of radar.

Trusting his judgement, Levi sat down on the edge of the roof and lay down on the cold surface. As time went by, he suddenly couldn't help but rethink his decision of letting the woman join the three of them in their mission.

That same morning, a rich man with chubby face and arrogant attitude had showed up demanding to talk to his group. At first, Levi had been forthright and harsh, for he would never abase himself so much as to make a deal with their ilk. For all he cared, they could die in a hole filled with Titans. However, much to his dismay, the man was not taking a 'no' for answer and, considering he didn't seem to have a problem admitting he was rich enough as to allow himself to give away a lot of money and not ending up missing it, Levi hadn't been able to say a word in the matter.

" _On one condition though_ ," he had said, not pleased in the least but decided to take as much advantage of the situation as possible. " _Someone else will join us_."

Isabel had spoken up then, curious and aware of her friend's intentions. She and Farlan both knew the short man had been frequently meeting up with the older of the Magnolia sisters, and suspicion had risen in their minds due to the peculiar situation.

" _Are you talking about Rei?"_

Before Levi could give an answer, laughter had exploded from the rich man and he stared down on him as if he were a joke.

" _Already tried to talk her into this,"_ he had revealed. " _One of my men is in the hospital because of that ungrateful bitch, but she got away before I could do something about it_."

' _More like, before I could call my men to do the work for me_ ,' Levi had thought, repulsed and raged by the man's words.

" _She wouldn't listen_."

" _She will listen to me_."

What made him think it'd be that easy? Nothing; Levi just wished for the man to shut the fuck up. And he had, thus why Levi had felt satisfied for the moment being. However, now that he thought about it, he didn't have a clue as to how he would convince her.

"Still sleeping? You're such a lazy man, Levi," a voice he recognized too well snapped him back to reality.

His eyelids fluttered open to reveal a pair of grey orbs, which were greeted with the bemused face of Rei. The woman had both hands placed on her hips as she stared at him from above, an arched eyebrow directed at him as though she were expecting for him to do something. Grunting under his breath, Levi sat up and waited for her to join him on the edge of the roof, which she did after a second of hesitation.

"Why did you turn down his offer?" Levi asked straightforward, referring to the rich man whose men she had gotten into a fight with.

"Since when do you give a shit about what I do?" She answered his question with one of her own, the words rolling off her tongue with parsimony, while pulling out a cigarette.

"Tch, you're stupider than I thought if you think I do," he retorted.

Nevertheless, the corner of her lips curled up into a slight smile before it quickly faded as though it was never there.

"I should have figured the asshole would go to you, but honestly, I don't care," she commented, shrugging carelessly. "Did you accept?"

Levi scoffed; the thought _amused_ him.

"We didn't have a choice in the matter."

"We always have a choice," Rei whispered, her eyes stared off into the distance.

When silence responded her, she mentally shook her head and lit the cigarette.

"Oi, stop smoking, brat," Levi demanded harshly, eyeing the item with repulsion.

As usual, much to his disgust, the woman merely shrugged him off and kept on taking drags on her cigarette. It was a vicious circle: he'd demand for her to quit smoking, and she'd ignore him while waving her hand as if he were a useless fly.

"I've been thinking–"

The cigarette was taken away from her mouth as she was about to take another drag in, which startled her and stopped her from keep talking. Instead, Rei turned her head to the man who was tossing the small item to the street below them. It was probably then when the woman realized how important he was becoming to her, and how much she treasured his friendship.

"You will stop smoking," he ordered after his eyes met hers in a daring glare.

Rei stared aghast into his burning gaze as her previous realization shook her from head to toes. However, in spite of her judgement, she pushed the advice of warning to the back of her head and made the decision that was going to change her life. A smirk tugged at the corner of her lips, and her face contorted into an expression of pure amusement.

"And you will get me out of here," Rei concluded, which earned her a barely noticeable look of bewilderment from the man next to her.

Seeing they both were satisfied with how things had been solved out, they allowed a comfortable silence to fell upon them. After some minutes of calm, Levi lay down and resumed his position on the ground, his arms behind his head as support.

"Levi."

The man grunted in response. Seriously, he couldn't have a moment of peace if Rei was close; he could've sworn she annoyed him on purpose.

"What?" He snarled while opening his grey eyes to send her an exasperated look, which if she noticed she did a great job ignoring.

"Lend me an arm."

"No."

Rei glared at him.

"Too much for asking," she complained to no one.

"You didn't ask, woman."

And he was right; she had a subtle way when it came to requesting things. Emphasis on _subtle_. It was curious how she resembled so much to her younger sister and how much she contrasted to her at the same time.

"What the hell are you doing," Levi demanded to know when he felt the familiar pressure on his stomach.

Rei merely glanced at him from the corner of her eye, a serene expression plastered on his pale face. Her head lay comfortably on his stomach, and some locks of her red hair tickled his chest as they caressed the bare skin that showed between the open buttons of his loose shirt. Much to his dismay, Levi had learned through months of meetings it was pointless to try to get her off of him, and if he succeeded on the task, she would just punch him and resume her position as if nothing had disturbed her.

"I can see right through you, Levi," she muttered then, ignoring his question in the process. "You do care."

Levi just clicked his tongue in vexation and closed his eyes again. Amused by his stubbornness, her hand reached for his, and her gaze fixed on the red mark drawn on his palm.

"It was a peculiar way to stub out a cigarette," she mused, which earned her a glare from the man.

"Tch, I couldn't stand the smoke," Levi defended. "It's dirty and repulsing, and you're annoying."

Rei arched an eyebrow while dropping his hand, which ended up lying placidly below her breasts.

"Glad to know you like me that much," she replied with a fake smile. "Next time you should stub it out on your face, maybe that way your sour mood would go away. Seriously, it should be considered as chronic condit–."

A surprised yelp escaped her throat as she was pushed off of his stomach, and consequently, of the roof.

' _I really don't know why I bother_ ,' they both mentally thought.

-#-

As expected –or as Rei hoped, better yet–, Levi had kept his word and let the young female join their promising mission. For some strange reason, the group had taken the news surprisingly good; to the point in which Isabel had squealed, and Farlan would have hugged her had she not jumped out of his reach. Subsequently, both of them had exchanged some conspicuous glances of confidence; which, ironically, Rei decided not to notice.

After discussing the plan, in which Rei's opinion had been completely ignored, the gang had left the security provided by their home and sprang into action.

Less than amused by the fact she had been ordered to watch their backs as they attracted their target, Rei scowled and followed soon after. While keeping her distance, Levi's words echoed in her mind.

 _"You'll be supporting us from behind, seeing as I don't think you're too much into teamwork."_

Now, as much as she hated to admit it, Rei knew he was right and had made the correct decision if they wanted their plan to work. However, when she had accepted to join in, she wasn't expecting to be placed in the rear guard. Somehow, even understanding Levi's judgement, she couldn't help but get the feeling she was being underestimated.

 _Swallow your ego for a moment. You won't need them when you're outside_ , she told herself.

And just by the mere thought of being alone once again, having no people ordering her around, she felt better. But, for some unknown reason, an uneasy feeling began to form in the pit of her stomach.

The familiar sound of gears snapped her out of her thoughts, immediately demanding for her attention. She didn't need to spar a glance over her shoulder to know they had been spotted, but she did nonetheless. There were five of them, all of whom wore green capes and moved across the air with ease and swiftness. Quickly looking back forward, Rei propelled herself towards her comrades and, after warning them of their pursuers, she proceeded to hide in the shadow provided by a pair of huge buildings. Soon enough, the Survey Corps flew past her and, even though the fact of having gone unnoticed disturbed her in the beginning, she dissipated her worries and followed them.

Keeping a safe distance, she watched in concentration how Farlan and Isabel rounded different corners as an attempt of losing them, and were instantly followed by four of the soldiers; which left only one of them to catch Levi.

One of her eyebrows arched at that, and her features contorted into a grimace of incertitude. However, instead of feeling insulted due to the insignificant merit given to Levi, the woman saw the truth behind that fact and rushed after them.

Quantity did not imply quality, and vice versa.

 _"Follow one of them –Isabel or Farlan– to make sure the plan goes as expected."_

 _To hell with your orders_ , Rei mentally growled. _Those two are capable enough to handle a pair of soldiers_.

Had she not been so caught on daydreaming, she would have noticed the figure tracking her down. Rei was way too focused on Levi's form as he swirled while escaping from his captor, and by the time she realized she was being followed, it was too late.

The sound of someone's gear approaching her from behind brought Rei back to the task at hand and, tearing her focused gaze from Levi, she glanced over her shoulder. A woman dressed in the same ropes as the rest of their pursuers was propelling herself towards her at an incredible speed, which only managed to light a fire in the redhead's heart. From her spot, hanging between two buildings, Rei could catch sight of the excited grin on the woman's face and the daring stare gleaming in her eyes, which hid behind glasses.

Whether it was the unexpected sight or the fact that she had failed to notice that soldier what made her grow angry, she didn't know or care. But what she knew was that she had been discovered, and consequently, she wasn't the backup anymore. Her instincts told her to confront the threat, as she had learned to do through the years; however, the rational part of her mind convinced her to do otherwise.

Pivoting mid-air, Rei propelled herself forwards in the direction Levi had followed as fast as she could. Rounding corners and breaking through tiny spaces, she tried to stray her pursuer. Adrenaline ran down her veins as she continued swirling and flying away, her muscled tensed and relaxed as the ropes launched her forwards with force. But, much to her dismay, the sound of gear kept following her, meaning her efforts were being to no avail. In fact, it didn't surprise her in the least; considering the Survey Corps went through a tough training in order to face Titans. However, Rei couldn't help but feel a bit impatient about it as well; she had no time to waste. That, and the ridiculous grin she was receiving from the woman was beginning to really irk her.

Thus, when Rei realized her efforts were useless, she quickly formed a different strategy in her mind. It was almost stupid, but Rei was almost certain it would work; she just had to wait for the right moment and, while doing so, she couldn't let the woman get her.

-#-

The moment Levi's eyes fell upon the guilty faces of his friends, a scowl as big as his head appeared on his face. That useless woman was nowhere to be seen, and he bet his life she had just done what she had felt like instead of following his orders. He shouldn't be surprised, really, seeing as Rei had never been one to heeding. But, as the man before him threw him into a retail of questions he didn't feel like answering, Levi could only think in ways of killing her. That was, until he was pushed to the dirty ground, where his face smashed with a thud. Then, the feeling of hatred towards Erwin Smith became so strong he stopped thinking about the woman whose rebellious attitude had put them into that messy situation.

"I'm going to ask only once more," Erwin said as he stared down at him. "Where did you learn to use those?"

Before any of them could mutter a word though, movement caught his attention from the corner of his eye. A thud was heard when his comrade, Rei, and another woman crashed on the dirty ground behind them. Not lifting his foot from Levi's face, Erwin Smith turned his head to look at the two women as they rolled one over the other.

"Hange," he spoke with authorization, calling for her attention. "Explain."

Knowing not to disobey Erwin, Hange sent Rei one last glance and stood up. There was a bump already forming on her head from when the robber had hit her with a rock, and her clothes where covered in dirt. But, if any of that bothered her, she didn't show it. Instead, a satisfied expression was spread across her features as she stared at Erwin.

"You were right; she followed you. But you wouldn't expect what she did when she noticed me," Hange did a dramatic pause that managed to anger Levi even more. "She accidentally crashed into a glass some men were carrying –"

She stopped talking when a knife was placed on her neck, pressing the jugular just enough to draw a tiny trail of blood. A bitter, humourless laugh echoed then, and Levi's eyes watched in slight shock as Rei came into view. Two soldiers attempted to approach her but were stopped by Erwin, who observed the woman in slight interest. Her hair was messy and stuck to her skin due to the sweat, her face was covered in dirt, and blood seeped from the wounds that decorated it. Considering she had smashed into a glass, she looked exactly as expected. However, Rei seemed to be doing her best to ignore the pain squeezing every inch of her body and scrutinized the man before her with glaring eyes.

"Rei," he heard Isabel gasp in horror, but she was held back when she made an attempt of approaching her sister.

"How about you stop beating around the bush?" Rei hissed, rage flowed across her furrowed features the same way blood did from her skin. "I _tricked_ you. I hit you with a rock. You dropped unconscious to the ground. So simple."

"That's correct. But, it wasn't a simple plan in the end, seeing as you got so injured you couldn't take a step without swaying on the spot," Hange mussed, not bothered by the fact she was being held and threatened with a knife in the least.

Silence fell upon them for some seconds, then the man whose foot was pressed against his face grabbed his attention. He, ignoring the dangerous situation his friend was in, glanced down at Levi with a serious expression on his face.

"This is what I offer to you," he began. "Your friend over there will receive treatment for her injuries, and you all will join the Survey Corps. No charges." When Levi didn't respond, but only let out a discontent grunt, Erwin frowned. "Think fast and wisely. There are a quite amount of cuts on her, she's going to lose conscious soon."

His grey eyes drifted to the woman in question, and immediately clashed with her blazing gaze as she stared back at him. Levi knew what had to be done; the plan was still the same, even though it was being more difficult than supposed. However, if he had learnt something about Rei, it was that her priorities could change in the blink of an eye whenever emotions got in the way. And, as she looked at him with burning, penetrating eyes, Levi could see the anger and frustration gleaming in them. Sadly, there was nothing he could do to persuade her not to throw everything out of the window; not verbally, at least. If Erwin saw the smallest of the hesitations, he could change his mind about his offer and that'd mean the end of their lives –in both physiological and physical ways.

So, for the very first time in his life, Levi let his emotionless façade drop and sent a look up, effectively guiding hers to follow the motion. It was one last attempt to make her focus on what mattered most, on the issue behind that act. They were going to be allowed to live up in the real world, where the sun glowed and the air was pure.

His eyes casted downwards to meet hers once again, and Levi was greeted with something different sparkling in them. From his spot –still tasting the disgusting ground, much to his discomfort–, he could almost heard the gears whirring in her head as she debated against herself. The knife she was griping in her hand wavered a little, and if Hange noticed, she did nothing to show it. For some seconds, Levi watched Rei struggle in silence and when her hand tried pointlessly to wipe away the blood that trailed down her forehead, he finally reached his limit.

"Rei."

The name rolled off his tongue so swiftly, yet forced at the same time, as if he wasn't supposed to call her that way. Truth was, it was the first time he say it aloud, for Levi had always used a special kind of adjectives no one would daily.

Silence enveloped the atmosphere as both robbers regarded each other in what seemed to be a conversation no one else could understand, their eyes locked in a penetrating stare. Finally, after a minute or two, a defeated sigh escaped her lips while Rei let the knife drop to the ground, giving up. However, her guard remained up as Hange took some steps away from her, and Levi knew it wouldn't take her more than two seconds to attack again if needed.

The looks of disbelief crossing Isabel and Farlan's faces were ignored, and Levi gave out a final grunt before the man freed him. With a satisfied smile, Erwin Smith motioned for the soldiers to lose their grips on the small party group and sent Levi a pleased smile.

"Welcome to the Survey Corps."

 _Welcome to hell_.


	3. Bickering

There was something about the world above—something magical. For starters, fresh breeze blew from a long-lost horizon, ruffling the work of both humans and nature with soft hands. Non-artificial flowers decorated the bushes which guarded the path through which the robbers were being led. In one word, Galene would describe it as colourful—pure, even. Never in her life had she witnessed such battle of colours; from the darkest of blues tainting the sky to the bright green in which the ground swam.

It was utterly stunning; far more impressive than what she had been expecting. Because she had dreamed so, so many times of the infinite beauty that would be waiting away from that dirty hole in the ground—but reality did prevail over fantasy. And for the first time ever, she was glad it was that way.

There was something else about it, however; way more wonderful than what lay below her feet, better yet than the soft breeze of the night. When her brown eyes glanced into that sea of stars to welcome the powerful moonlight, Galene was overwhelmed by a sensation of freedom—as if the fact that she was outside had repentantly sunk in. Her gaze had been so focused on that seemingly-tiny ball of pure light, that her foot had collided with a rock on the path and she had stumbled.

Her comrades had not showed any sign of having heard her unusual lack of grace, for they were drowned in a state of befuddlement similar to hers.

She breathed out—prey to absolute amazement—, breathed in afterwards; if only to taste that freshness in the air thoroughly. However, as everything wonderful in life, an abrupt end took it all away.

The group of robbers had been led to a large gate, on whose other side stood the quarters of the Survey Corps in all their magnificence. Oddly enough, a single building greeted them once the entrance was unlocked—big enough to give shelter to the whole squadron, yet not so much to harbour room for training or whatever other activity the soldiers did in order to prepare themselves to face the gruesome Titans.

"We're here. I expect you to behave," the annoying voice of Erwin Smith called out.

Grunting lowly under her breath, Galene hardened her gaze on the blond man but refrained from speaking her thoughts aloud as her sister stepped in her sight. Her green eyes watched her warily, as though she was expecting an attack any moment then. Nevertheless, the younger of the Magnolia siblings remained quiet, knowing better than to block her way—she had experienced first-hand how stubborn and volatile Galene was.

"I won't be babysitting you, woman. So stop wasting my time."

Galene titled her head to glare at the short man.

"Last time I checked—" her lips pursed into an amused smirk "—you seemed to enjoy spending your free time cleaning up the house. And to be honest, you actually look like a nanny—a murderous one at that, though."

"I will kill you."

"Behave, Levi, behave."

Turning back to the man in charge, she gave him no time to retort and strutted in—not after sparing Erwin a disdainful glance, though. The ground was vacant of life; she observed as she followed the Commander—who apparently had made it his mission to get on her way as frequent as possible—through the silent yard. No soul came out to see them in; perhaps because it was past midnight.

"Do they actually have curfew?" she muttered, torn between amusement and irritation.

"Yes, _you_ have," Erwin corrected, only to earn himself an unimpressed stare.

"Funny."

Galene wasn't used to be ordered around; having grown up within the environment she had—with no parents to educate her, and basically only trusting her own judgement to survive—no one had ever dared to try disciplining her. If there was something about which she was certain, it was that she would not do anyone's will but hers.

"Like I care about that," Levi cut in, wearing his usual stoic expression as he glanced at his surroundings.

Next to him, Isabel stretched her arms over her head and yawned.

"I just want to sleep," she slurred.

"That's new. What happened?"

Turning to Farlan—who watched her in amusement—, she puffed her cheeks and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Don't look so surprised. I'm—"

"—a very hyperactive human."

"Hyperactive humans do sleep, too."

"Oi, shut up already," Levi demanded.

Galene sighed.

"Now you've done it." She glanced back at them with a disapproving expression. "You've brought back Nanny Levi. And I had just sent h—oi, don't go kicking your leg like that. You're going to hurt yourself."

Before the short man was able to deliver an attack on her, the Commander spoke up, "Stop making a fuss—Hange, I can see you laughing." Said woman sobered up and coughed as to hide her amusement, yet was awarded a reprimanding glance. "If you have yet to realize, I've specifically brought you in at this hour to avoid trouble."

Her features contorted into an expression of vexation upon hearing his words—of course she had noticed. Due to curfew, they would spare themselves the questioning; they, as in the lot of soldiers who dragged the robbers in. Because there was no doubt, those four would be encountering insulted, baffled amateurs bearing disgusted looks and carrying questions; demanding to know the reason why a group of criminals would be receiving the same lessons they were—as if they were but garbage, with no human rights whatsoever.

There would be a commotion then—Galene was certain. But to be honest, she could care less. As soon as their job was finished there, she would be the first to grab her stuff and leave that place. She had yet to decide on what she would spend the money that will fall into her hands when their mission was accomplished—the eagerness to be free was so overwhelming at times, that her mind would just turn off and she would forget about her purpose.

For all she cared, those soldiers could throw a tantrum as big as their egos. She wouldn't be there long enough to see how it ended.

The rest of the _tour_ was short-lived, and mostly quiet—because Isabel seemed to be too tired to suppress her yawns and constant sighing. Inside the building, torches hanging on the walls battled against darkness and showed them their way down infinite hallways. Oddly enough, the atmosphere was chilly—as though they didn't mind sleeping while freezing to death. No one complained about it, nevertheless— _what good would it do, anyway?_

The hallways were narrow, so much that she was constantly bumping shoulders with the woman who refused to let her out of her sharp sight. Each of those times, Galene would click her tongue in annoyance and try to stick to the wall as much as possible. It amused Hange, as her smirk would widen considerably—as if she enjoyed every bit of her irritation.

Her hands itched to punch the irksome soldier, grab her by the neck and send her rolling down the stairs they were currently following.

Erwin stopped by what could possibly be the most isolated room in the building, opened the door and motioned for them to follow him in. A few soldiers stood by it, however, looking unsure for some reason.

"You are dismissed."

They scattered away like rats, causing Galene to snort mockingly.

"Loyalty seems to be lacking these days," she commented.

"Coming from a thief, I don't know how to respond to that," Erwin stated.

She merely sent him a blank stare, for she refused to give him any other kind of acknowledgement.

"This is huge!" exclaimed her sister as the robbers were left alone—but not before Erwin spoke about the importance of punctuality.

The room was spacious; that was for sure. But it lacked everything a proper bedroom would have; in fact, had it not been for the four beds leaning on each wall, Galene would have mistaken it for a stable. Giving a quick glance to the floor, her nose furrowed at the sight of the immeasurable amount of dust decorating the wood.

"This is filthy," Levi refuted.

He pulled out a chief and used it as a shelter, covering his face up until his eyes. Farlan shook his head in amusement, but Galene couldn't let the opportunity slip away.

"Suits you; gives a break to my sore eyes."

"I will kill you, brat."

"That would be rude."

"You damn woman."

"You're seriously like a married couple."

"I will kill you too, Isabel."

"Seriously, stop threatening people with killing them."

Farlan cleared his throat, if only to stop the two from bickering—or jumping down their throats. He sat down on one of the beds as the younger of the Magnolia sisters lazily got up from hers, loudly yawning as she did.

"How are we going to proceed?" he asked, referring to their mission. "Are we just gonna, you know, distract him somehow?"

Isabel nodded fervently.

"And someone will sneak in and steal the—"

"That won't work."

Isabel pouted and turned towards the short man, who was standing next to the only window in the room.

"For once, I agree," admitted Galene with crossed arms. "As much as I hate to admit it, this guy isn't an idiot. If this scroll contains something so relevant it's worth the money that chubby man is willing to pay us, Erwin won't leave it unprotected."

A glance was thrown her way, one impressed that was replied with a wink. Levi sighed and drifted his gaze back to the glowing moon.

"In addition, we're already under his watch," he added.

Isabel frowned.

"But we can't just… wait until we're accepted as everyone else. That won't happen," she pointed.

"What do you suggest, then?" he retorted, not angry but exasperated.

It was then when Farlan spoke up, silencing everyone with four simple words. Even Galene—who had closed her eyes and tuned out from the conversation due to its futility—perked up.

"Galene can do it."


End file.
